IWA Chelmsford Branch Magazine October 2011

Chelmsford Branch Newsletter October 2011

Cover Photo Monara enters Heybridge Lock C&BN

Content From the Editor From the Region Chairman From your (Acting) Chairman IWA Visit Susan’s Time is Coming Closure of Hertford Union C & B Navigation Essex WRG Social Scene

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Campaigning for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the Inland Waterways.

Disclaimer: The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this Newsletter but encourages publication as a matter of interest.

Nothing printed herein may be construed as policy or official announcement unless stated otherwise. The IWA accepts no liability for any matter in the Newsletter

From the EDITOR I must start this newsletter with an apology. In the last newsletter I failed to thank Wendy for all her hard work over the years in producing the newsletter for us. Having now produced two newsletters I realise what an arduous task this is. I am looking forward to passing on the baton to a new editor for the next edition With the last newsletter was a plea for more volunteers to help with running the branch. Thank you to all those who responded with offers of help.

Paul Strudwick

From your (Acting) Chairman Molly Beard I am delighted to say that there have been a number of favourable comments about the new-format Newsletter, which came about because of the unsustainable cost of the old A5 magazine-style format.

Needless to say, not everybody is pleased but I think the Editor has managed to convince doubters of the necessity for change. Thanks to all of you who have supported our efforts to improve the situation.

Following my letter to each of our members, a number of volunteers have now stepped forward to offer their help in running the Branch. At the time of writing, they have been invited to a get-together with the Committee, just before the October social meeting, and we are optimistic that we will soon have a reinvigorated committee to carry the Branch forward. We are most grateful to those volunteers.

I have been in touch with Jan and Stuart Thurston, who have mixed news. Stuart, having abandoned his heart pills, says he is feeling a lot better and is much more able Page 2

to look after Jan. She has started her course of chemo but the surgery to her eye cannot be undertaken until the effects of the chemo have been assessed, the chemo will have to continue until February. I know you will all be wishing the very best for Jan and Stuart, who have worked so hard for the Branch in the past and now need all the support we can give them, Molly Beard

From your Region Chairman Paul Strudwick As some of you may know I have recently put on yet another hat and I am your region chairperson. This will mean I have to spend less time on Chelmsford branch business. Hopefully I will still see you at the branch social events.

Next year is going to be a challenging one for IWA in general and London Region in particular. To ensure we have the maximum representation on the new Waterways Charity we need to widen the membership of the association so that others recognise us as being a broad “church,� representing not only the boating and heritage interests but also all other users such as walkers and casual visitors. We also need to broaden the age profile of the association. One way that you can help the branch in this is to get out onto the towpath and join the existing work parties on the Chelmer & Blackwater. Why not give John Gale or Roy Chandler a call. I am certain they would be pleased to hear from you. Whilst on the theme of working parties we can all help in the preparation for the 2012 Olympics. Over the next year leading up to the games, IWA will be joining with others to make the canal network and rivers round London look at their best, ready for the thousands of visitors to the event. Look out for the publicity, which will be starting in January. Clean up events will be starting from March.

This year Cavalcade, with no National Festival being held, takes on special importance and we need to try and make this one even more memorable than usual, to make certain IWA's campaigning message is heard by the widest possible audience The money on offer from the government for the new charity to replace BW is well below that needed for a sustainable future.

Whilst there might be some “wriggle room” on the settlement on offer and the removal of the dead hand of the Treasury from BW will allow the charity to use its assets more profitably, the threat to the waterways caused by the economic situation is real and on-going. We have come a long way over the last few years, one of our long term aims, establishing a National Waterways Conservancy is nearly in our grasp. To ensure that the embryonic National Waterways Charity is not starved of sufficient funds will need firm leadership. I believe the only organisation that can give that leadership on a national level is the Inland Waterway Association

IWA visit At the end of September eleven members of IWA Guildford and Reading branch spent a very hot weekend sailing the Blackwater Estuary from Hythe Quay in Maldon on the Thames Sailing Barge Centaur. The group included an IWA Trustee, Paul Roper, and they asked if they could visit “our waterway”, the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation whilst in the area.

They arrived at Heybridge Basin on Thursday in time for lunch at The Old Ship overlooking the Sea Lock. As it was high tide, locking was taking place and the area was very busy. After lunch there was a short walking tour of the Navigation at the Basin. The group then boarded the trip boat The Elver for a two hour return trip upstream to Beeleigh and a further short walking tour of this interesting area where the River Blackwater crosses the Navigation. The local school had been given an afternoon off and the area was heaving with school children all taking advantage of the high tide and unusually hot weather.

I will try to write a few words for every future edition of your magazine but it is quite difficult to produce up to date and relevant reports as each branch magazine has a slightly different publishing schedule.

Finally can I publicly thank Roger Squires for all the work he has done in looking after the region as acting chairperson, since the previous chairperson had to resign due to ill health. He will be a very hard act to follow.

Paul Strudwick

Photo of group at Beeleigh.

The trip to Beeleigh allowed the visitors to see several of the recent projects completed by Essex Waterways Ltd., including the rebuilt Hall Bridge and its footpath connections. The group then left to join Centaur.

Roy Chandler

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Susan’s Time is Coming

Susan at Paper Mill Lock Previous editions of the Chelmsford Branch Magazine have reported on the history of Susan, the sole surviving timber lighter from the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, her move to St. Osyth Boatyard and the commencement of her restoration. This involved the replacement of her main keelson as an emergency as the rot in the keelson was causing her back to break. This work was completed successfully last year and she was moved to a mud berth to await her slot in the boatyard repair programme for the next phase of her repair, following the completion of the HLF funded restoration of Thames sailing barge Thalatta.

The next phase, Stage 2, will be the complete re-planking of the bottom of the boat and the renewal of the chines (see diagram). This stage is estimated to cost £60,000 including VAT. The estimate Page 4

includes the cost of replacing all the chines and some of the floors (also called bottom ribs) and also rebuilding the propeller tunnel. The hull is carver built and the new planking will be fixed onto the existing planking thus preserving as much of the original as possible. This will make the bottom double planked and watertight.

This Branch recently donated £5,000 to The Susan Trust towards this worthy restoration project and I am pleased to report that following a presentation to The Chelmer Canal Trust at their AGM in September, they also made a similar £5,000 donation. This brings The Susan Trusts available funds to a total of £54,000 which is almost the cost of the Stage 2 work. It is hoped that the £60,000 total cost of the work will be reached by the time this is complete!

Stage 3 will be the replacement of the subkeelsons using greenheart timber.

Stage 4 is the repair of the gunwales and superstructure.

Stage 5 is the design and construction of a removable cover to protect Susan when not in use.

Each of these stages is estimated to cost £12,000, so fund raising continues and given the local support that has so far been received, The Susan Trust is confident that this will be forth coming.

Upon completion of her restoration, Susan will return to the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation and her berth at Sandford Mill.

She will become an educational and interpretation exhibit and work on the Navigation providing trips on Open Days and at events along the waterway. She will be operated by volunteers from the Chelmer Lighter Preservation Society and The Susan Trust.

Roy Chandler

Closure of Hertford Union For those of you who own or use a boat on the river Lee the announcement by British Waterways that a decision has been taken to close the Hertford Union and Commercial Road Lock, from 3rd July to 10th September 2012, must be very disappointing.

British Waterways will be fixing physical barriers to prevent unauthorised boats getting access to the Olympic park area by these routes.

British Waterways claim that in discussion with the security services they were able to secure a twice daily passage from the River Lee via Limehouse onto the Thames, which means that all their customers in the London area will be able to access the national network. They don’t mention that without this “concession� they would have been unable to move boats onto the prepaid Olympic moorings on the Lee. Nor do they mention that if your boat is over 45 foot long you need a VHF radio to travel along the tideway.

Works have been carried out at Heybridge Mill to the banks and walls on the Mill Leat, as well as piling to the banks at Treasure Island at Paper Mill, Little Baddow. Most of this work remains unseen by users of the Navigation and by the public. The latest such work just completed is at Little Baddow Mill where comprehensive repairs have been undertaken to the brickwork of the sluices, tunnels and former mill races. Ivy covered many of these areas, concealing their poor condition. The work took eight weeks to complete and involved lowering water levels for a short period during this time.

The cutting and stitching of new brickwork into eroded and damaged areas required the use of over one thousand five hundred new imperial sized red facing bricks.

Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation During the latter years of operation by the original Navigation Company and during the period of Administration of The Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation most of their waterside properties were sold. With many of these sales the Navigation retained the responsibility for maintaining banks and waterway structures at the properties. In most cases these banks and structures were in need of repairs and Essex Waterways has been undertaking such works since it took responsibility for the Navigation in 2005.

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The photograph of work underway is taken from the bed of the mill race which is not visible from the Navigation as the area remains a private residential garden.

The sluices here enable Essex Waterways to control water levels on this section of the Navigation and they are checked on a regular basis. Further work to the area is likely to be programmed for next year.

Roy Chandler

Essex WRG

backfilled so that excavators and dumpers etc. could still get to the towpath. The rest was left as an open ditch. During the day Steve got some training in using a large excavator (he already has a small excavator ticket).

One advantage in staying in the cottage was to go back there for lunch, rather than having to take it to site as we normally do.

After work we went back to the cottage for our evening meal which was cooked by Di. We then had a game of hunt the car keys, which, luckily, were found – still in Di’s car!

Our September dig was on the Wilts & Berks Canal at Dauntsey Lock near Wootton Bassett.

It was a small gathering as several of our number couldn’t make it. Excuses ranged from holidays to moving house, and plumbing emergencies to conducting church services. However Frank, Steve, Martin and I met at the Peterborough Arms on the Friday night and then adjourned across the road to Rachael’s cottage. In view of our low numbers we were staying there instead of hiring a hall.

The main work consisted of constructing an overflow through the bund by the lock.

Over the summer the leaks which had plagued this stretch of canal had been located and cured, so we had to make sure that, with the winter’s rain, it didn’t flood.

While Steve and Frank cleared vegetation and large stones and started a bonfire, Martin drove the excavator and dug a trench; while I alternated between driving the dumper and holding the surveyor’s post while Rachael used the theodolite.

(For some reason water seems to prefer running downhill, so we needed to make the trench slope in the right direction!)

Once the trench was completed, two pipes were inserted under the bit of the bund that formed the “roadway” and this was Page 6

Sunday’s job was using two Tirfor winches to pull out willow saplings that had taken root in the canal. For this we had the help of several locals and a canoe – as most of the saplings were by the far bank. After spending the morning doing this, it was time for a late lunch and returning home.

For these particular jobs we did have enough bodies, but we do normally suffer from a shortage of people – in particular younger people. If you are interested why not join us. If you have a particular skill – fantastic, but the only one you really need is enthusiasm. Why not give me a ring and find out more. My phone number is 01376 334896.

John Gale

STOP PRESS New Editor Appointed The Editor is pleased to announce that his replacement will be John Carlaw. His email address will continue to be chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk. The copy date for the next newsletter has yet to be agreed but will be sometime in January 2012

Social Scene

9 February 2012

10 November 2011

Travels with My Canoe by Roger Wilkinson

The Bow Back Rivers & the Olympic Construction Site by Colin Edwards Colin Edwards talked to us two years ago, about going by boat to Switzerland. He was Chairman of London Region’s Planning & Navigation Committee but is now planning to move to France, so I am crossing everything in the hope that he will still be here for our talk!

8 December 2011

Christmas Social As usual, we ask everybody to bring along a plate of food, to go on the table for all to share. This could result in there being two hundred mince pies and not a lot else but it hasn’t happened so far and there has always been a good variety from which to choose. Most people seem not to want alcoholic drinks if they are driving, so we will provide tea, coffee and soft drinks but you are welcome to bring a bottle if you prefer that.

The entertainment this year is different from the programme previously announced and comes in the form of “Towpath Tel and Memphis Bob“, aka “Velvet”, who play “Smooth Music from Five Decades”. This promises to be rather special and we would ask you to be extra generous when you are passing the pot at the door!

12 January 2012

London’s Water Supply by John Cunningham

John Cunningham last spoke to us about the New River and was very entertaining.

His January talk will be more about the technical aspects of supplying London’s water - just as interesting, I anticipate.

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Roger Wilkinson is a member of N.E. London Branch and this is his first visit to us. His canoe travels might come as a change from narrow boating

17 February 2012 NEW EVENT

Fish and Chip Supper As mentioned in the last Newsletter I have made arrangements with The Old Ship, beside the lock at Heybridge Basin, for a two-course Branch fish supper. It will be on Friday, l7th February, at 7.00 for 7.30, in the upstairs function room.

Elsewhere in this Newsletter you will find a booking form and food selection form to complete and return to me at my address or at a social meeting. Numbers will be limited by the size of the room and the cost will be a moderate £16 per head, so get your order in early. I shall look forward to seeing a lot of you there for a good evening out, at a time of year that is often otherwise pretty gloomy

8 March 2012

AGM Nomination forms for committee members will be in the next newsletter. Please don’t forget that we hope to have a discussion at the end of the AGM, about the future of the Branch. It is still very early days but, with my Chairman’s hat on, I am really hoping for some fresh new ideas to come to the surface. It is likely, also, that we will have some new faces on the Committee by then so it should be an interesting evening.

Molly Beard.

Chelmsford Branch Who’s Who

Acting Editor: Paul Strudwick New Editor John Carlaw Acting Chairman: Molly Beard Secretary Chris Chandler Planning & Conservation Roy Chandler

paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk

chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk. 07837 576464 mollyanddouglas@tiscali.co.uk

01702 554492

chrismchandler@hotmail.co.uk

01245 223732

roy.chandler@waterways.org.uk

01245 223732

01376 334896

Treasurer John Gale Publicity: Paul Strudwick Essex Waterways Ltd: Roy Chandler Acting Social Secretary: Molly Beard London Region Chairperson: Paul Strudwick

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01245 358342

paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk

01245 358342

roy.chandler@waterways.org.uk

01245 223732

mollyanddouglas@tiscali.co.uk

01702 554492

paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk

01245 358342

TWO-COURSE FISH SUPPER THE OLD SHIP, HEYBRIDGE BASIN Friday, 17th February, 2012, 7.00pm for 7.30pm BOOKING FORM Name (print) Address (print) Phone

Please reserve ………..places for me at £16.00 per head, I enclose cheque/p.o/ cash* to the value of £……………….. ****************************************************************************************************** MENU Tick a main course and either a starter or a desert for each person Starter

Soup Ardennes Pate *****

Mains: Cod With chips or new potatoes and peas

Plaice Haddock Beef & Ale Pie

***** Desert With cream or ice cream:

Apple Pie Chocolate Fudge Cake

***** Tea or coffee to follow Please Return the whole form to Molly Beard, Shipwrights, 241 Benfleet Road, Benfleet,SS7 1QGJ, or at a social meeting * Delete as appropriate

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